Tilak is an M Sc (Hons) in Mathematics from BITS, Pilani, and has more than 30 years of social and marketing research experience in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, UAE / Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia. He was a director on the board (and stakeholder) of Mode / TNS Mode / TNS India (1986 - 2008), and de facto MD of MRC-MODE Bangladesh and TNS Lanka. He was the co founder promoter of GfK ME, Dubai and Saudi Arabia (in 2008), and was its Chairman, till August 2012. He is the co founder promoter and Chairman of Sigma Research, a social and marketing research firm in India, that is now in the A league (comprising the MNC giants) within a few years of inception. He is a Member of the Governing Body of CHARKHA - DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION NETWORK. Tilak has had as clients a wide range of international multi and bi lateral donor and developmental agencies and Government departments in the development sector, and virtually all MNC companies in the commercial sector. He also plays the role of mentor for IQ Group.